Tree-Ching Trail Walk at Stephens Lake Park

Trees Pay Us Back! - Educational Campaign

In October and November 2010, park visitors were invited to take the "Tree-Ching Trail Walk" at Stephens Lake Park to learn about the benefits park trees provide our community. Along the park perimeter trail there were a series of price tags hanging on park trees with details on the financial and environmental benefits they provide. The price tags in the park have since been removed, but the information about the trees and their value is provided below.

Tree-Ching Trail Walk

Fourteen trees were selected at Stephens Lake Park to demonstrate the value trees provide our community. Trees were evaluated by using the National Tree Benefit Calculator, which takes into consideration a tree's location, species and size to calculate the approximate annual economic value a specific tree provides. A price tag was displayed on all fourteen trees, showing each tree's estimated annual monetary benefit. The map below shows the location of each tree identified on the Tree-Ching Trail Walk. The price tags in the park have since been removed, but photos of the trees in the trail walk, their respective value price tags and value charts (from the National Tree Benefit Calculator) are shown below. Research studies show that for every dollar invested in trees, there is a three to seven dollar return!

Click on the map above and the value price tags and charts below for enlargements.

Tree Inventory and i-Tree Streets Analysis

A component of the grant is to conduct a GIS-based tree inventory at Stephens Lake Park of all trees planted or maintained in mowed or common areas of the park (excluding the trees growing in the Hinkson Creek riparian forest corridor on the park's eastern boundary). The following inventory data and fields will be collected:

Location

Species

Tree Size

Condition

Observations

Primary Maintenance

Removal

Large Tree Clean

Small Tree Clean

Young Tree Train

Stump Removal

Secondary Maintenance

Raise

Reduce

Thin

Utility

Restoration

Risk Assessment

Probability of Failure

Size of Defective Part

Probability of Target

Other Risk Factors

What is i-Tree Streets Analysis?

i-Tree is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the US Forest Service that provides urban forestry analysis and benefits assessment tools. The i-Tree Tools help communities of all sizes to strengthen their urban forest management and advocacy efforts by quantifying the structure of community trees and the environmental services that trees provide.